Surkov appointed as vice-premier for economic modernization

GORKI, December 27 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Vladislav Surkov as a deputy prime minister. Prior to the promotion, Surkov was the first deputy head of the presidential administration.

Medvedev told Surkov on Tuesday that he would be in charge of economic modernization.

“Several years ago when the Modernization Commission was established you became its deputy head and did a colossal work,” Medvedev said. Time has come to handle the same matter at the government.

The work of the Commission for Russian Economic Modernization and Technological Development “will now have a clearer definition and content,” Medvedev said. He hopes that the labor of the recent years “will not be wasted but developed further in Surkov’s work at the government.”

Surkov said the appointment was an honor and a very interesting work was ahead. He expressed his gratitude to Medvedev.